Duplicate-whist apparatus.



Patented mi. I90l.

R. A. G. A ULT. DUPLICATE WHISTAPPARATUS.

(Application filed Dec. 15, 1897.)

'3 Sheets-sheaf I (No Model.)

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No. 665,048. Patented Jan. I, [90L R. A. a. AULT. DUPLICATE WHIST'APPABATUS.

(Application filed Dec 15, 1897.) (N 0 Model.)

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Patented Jan. I, 30!.

R. A. G. AULT. DUPLICATE WHIST APPARATUS.

(Application Med Dec. 15, 1897.1

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(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT ROBERT A. e. AUL'I, or YORK, PENNSYLVANIA.

DUPLICATE-BWHIST APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 665,048, dated January 1, 1961.

Application filed. Deifibi 15, 1897. Serial No. 662.068. (N0 model.)

To atZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, ROBERT A. G: AULT, a citizen of the United States, residing at York, in the county of York and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Duplicate-Whist Apparatus, of which the following is a specification, taken in connection with the drawings hereto annexed.

My invention relates to duplicate-whist apparatus; and its principal object is to provide an apparatus which shall, first, make it easily possible to replace the elastic bands commonly used with such apparatus when they wear out or break; second, reduce the number of boards necessary; third, reducethe first cost of the boards; fourth, conceal the number of each board until the number is required, and, finally, secure various minor advantages to be hereinafter more fully pointed out and specified. In addition my improved apparatusis small, light, and highly convenient.

In the drawings attachedto this specification, Figure 1 represents the upper side, and Fig. 2 the lower side, of a board constructed according to my invention; and Figs. 3, 4., and 5 represent modifications.

In Fig. l, A is the board, preferably of heavy pasteboard or similar material, cut, as shown, in the shape of a Greek cross. Each of the four arms B is provided at its end with a finger-notch C to facilitate the removal of the hands. In each side of each arm is provided a notch D to hold in place a rubber band. While these notches are not absolutely essential, they tend to make the apparatus more convenient and reliable. In each pair of these notches D, I place a rubber band E to retain the hands. (Shown at F.) It will be seen that each hand is held firmly in place and is at the same time readily removable. One of the greatest objections to the usual forms of .duplicate-whist apparatus is that the rubber bands in time weaken,stretch, and break. It will be seen that by my improved apparatus when this occurs they can be readily replaced without disturbing the apparatus as a whole.

On each side of each board, preferably near the center, I place an indicator G, I prefer to construct these indicators of colored paper of the two openings are varied on the different boards of the set, so that the lead will always fall to the proper player. If,,for example, the arrow of board No. 1 points in the direction indicated, the arrow on the second boardshould point downward, and the arrow on the third board should point to the right, 860..

I place on each board a number or similar device in such a way that it will be concealed by, the rubber bands during the play and yet may be readily ascertained when it becomes necessary to write down the score.

It will be seen that my improved boards are so constructed as to hold a set of hands on each side, so that a set of boards may be used to play twice as many hands as could be played with the same number of boards of the ordinary type. I accordingly place on the back of each board, as shown in Figs 2, a,

second number, as shown at K, and a second indicator G. 'The indicators G have their openings H and I arranged in such relative positions that the lead will always fall to the proper player, as will be readily understood.

Although I have preferred to form the indicators of paper, as described, of a color contrasting with the colorof the boards, it is obvious thatI may print the indicators directly upon the boards.

It is important in the game of duplicate whist that the players should not on the secand distinguish the two sides by the use of different-colored indicators, as indicated by the shading in the drawings. It will be obvious that this result may be attained in various other ways. In order to prevent players from recognizing particular hands, I also prefer to add the additional indicators K. (Shown in dotted linesin Figs. 3and t.) These indicators are placed on the lower sides of the boards to indicate the north on the first play. On the return play the indicators I are used. By comparing the relative positions of the indicators G, I, and K in Figs. 3 and ih, which may represent, respectively, the first and third boards of the set, it will be apparent that each player will on the second round play some of the hands held in the first round by his right-hand opponent and some held by his left-hand opponent, and being ignorant in all cases of the number of the particular board will not know in any particular case whose hand he is playing, since the indicators K K are placed on the lower sides of the boards, and therefore need not be looked at in placing the boards for the second round. These improvements tend to eliminate one of the objectionable features of duplicate whist, which is that certain players are, even when a large number of hands are used, able to remember back to the first round, and thus gain an unfair advantage.

In case the boards are used on both sides it is obvious that an additional set of indicators K must be used on the upper sides of the boards to indicate the north for the hands on the lower sides of the boards on the first round.

A modified form of my invention is shown in Fig. 5, in which the board is rectangular in form, preferably square, and provided with slots L L, giving access to the inner sets of notches D. The outer sets of notches D are cut in the sides of the boards, as shown. Rubber bandsE E are placed in these notches, as in the form above described, and the hands F F are held in place by the rubber bands. It is obvious that this board may be provided with indicators G, which maybe used on one side alone or on both sides, as preferred, and may also be provided with the finger-notches O and the additional indicators K K, if preferred. It will be understood that in using these boards they are so placed that the indicator I will point to some definite point of the compass, usually the north, on the first play and either the east or west on the return play. If, however, the additional indicators K are used, then on the first play the indicators I are pointed toward some definite point of the compass-say the north and on the return play the indicators K are pointed toward this same point. Therefore where I use the expression indicators for showing the north in the claims it will be understood that I mean by north any definite point of the compass upon which the players may agree.

1 claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A duplicate-whist board having means thereon for retaining hands in place, and also having thereon a number or designating device, said number or designating device being so placed as to be concealed from view by said retaining means during the play of the hands.

2. A duplicate-whist board having thereon a designating character and a rubber band, said character being so placed as to be concealed from View by said band (1 uring the play of the hands, substantially as described.

3. A duplicate-whist board formed in the shape of a Greek cross, with notches in the sides of the arms thereof adapted to receive elastic bands for retaining the hands in place, one or more of said arms having thereon a number or designating device so placed as to be concealed from view by said band, substantially as described.

4. A duplicate-whist board formed in the shape of a Greek cross, with notches in the sides of the arms of the cross adapted to receive elastic bands for retaining the hands in place, one or more of said arms having thereon a number or designating device placed between the notches in .the sides of the arms thereof, said number being of less Width than said rubber band, whereby when the rubber band is in place in said notches it shall completely conceal said number from view.

5. A duplicate-whist board formed in the shape of a Greek cross, with notches in the sides of the arms thereof adapted to receive elastic bands, bands in said notches, said bands being capable of retaining hands on each side of the board, and one or more numbers or designating devices on each side of the board so placed as to be concealed from view by said bands,substantially as described.

6. A substantially squareduplicate-whist board having the slots D, the notches D and the rubber bands E, said bands being adapted to retain hands on each side of the board, and one or more numbers or designating devices on each side of the board so placed as to be concealed from view by said bands, substantially as described.

7. Aduplicate-whist board having card-retaining devices thereon,each retaining device being capable of retaining a hand on both sides of the board, and numbers or designating devices on the boards so placed as to be concealed from view by the retaining devices.

8. A duplicate-whist board formed in the shape of a Greek cross, with notches in the sides of the arms thereof adapted to receive elastic bands, bands in said notches, said bands being capable of retaining hands on each side of the board, one or more numbers or designating devices on each side of the board so placed as to be concealed from view by said bands, and indicating devices on each side of the board, said indicating devices being of contrasted colors and each being of a color contrasting with the color of the board, and having openings therein which by their relative position indicate the lead, substanthereon'which by their relative position indicate the lead.

10. A duplicate-whist board having an indicator thereon, said indicator consisting of a single device adapted to be fastened to the board,said device having a plurality of openings therein which by their relative position indicate the lead.

11. A dnplicate-whist board having means thereon for securing hands to both sides thereof, a lead-indicating device on each side of the board, said lead-indicating device consisting of a Wafer of a color different from the color of the board and having openings therein which by their relative position indicate the lead.

12. A set of duplicate-whist boardsin which each board bears a lead-indicator, each of said lead-indicators consisting of a single device adapted to be fastened to the board, said device having a plurality of marks thereon which by their relative position indicate the lead, one or more of said marks having the same relative position in all the boards, while the remaining mark or marks are so placed, on the different boards, with relation to the fixed mark or marks that the lead shall rotate, substantially as described.

13. A set of duplicate-whist boards wherein the boards are divided into groups, all the boards of each group having thereon like ind dicating devices different from the indicating devices of the other groups, whereby the boards of the different groups are distinguished without indicating the number of the particular board, substantially as and for the purpose described.

14. Aset of duplicate-whist boards wherein each board has an indicator for showing the lead, an initial indicator for showing the north on the first play, and a return indicator for showing the north on the return play, the return indicator on some of the boards being placed to the right of the initial indicator and on other boards to the left of the initial indicator, substantially as and for the purpose described.

15. A set of duplicate-whist boards in which each board has an indicator for showing the lead, an initial indicator for showing the north on the first play, and a return indicator for ROBERT A. G. AULT.

Witnesses:

J. O. HOLAHAN, JAMES H. SMALL. 

